Family and Education

bap. 17 Jan. 1648, 1st s. of Ambrose Manaton^† of Trecarrell by 2nd w. Jane, da. of Narcissus Mapowder of Holsworthy, Devon and coh. to her bro. Anthony; bro. of Henry Manaton. educ. G. Inn, entered 1666; Exeter, Oxf. 1667. m. (1) 29 Oct. 1674, Elizabeth, da. and h. of William Kelly of Kilworthy, 1s. d.v.p.; (2) 23 Oct. 1690, Rachel, da. of Sir John Carew, 3rd Bt., of Antony, Cornw., s.p. suc. fa. 1651.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Cornw. 1673-80, Devon 1679-80, Cornw. and Devon 1689-90; mayor, Tintagel 1679-80; capt. of militia ft. Devon by 1680; asst. Camelford to June 1688; j.p. Devon 1689-d., Cornw. 1692-d.2

Biography

Manaton came from a cadet branch of a Cornish family which had resided on a property of that name at least from the 15th century; but his father, who sat for Bossiney in 1621 and for Launceston in the Long Parliament, was the first to enter the House. Long prominent in the popular party, he nevertheless took the King’s side in the Civil War, and compounded in 1650 for £738 on an estate probably undervalued at £550 p.a. Manaton continued the family tradition of fortunate marriage. He owned burgages in Newport, four miles from Trecarrell, and successfully contested a by-election there in February 1678. Shaftesbury marked him ‘worthy’, but his only committee in the Cavalier Parliament was for the Fal navigation bill. He also owned considerable property in Camelford, where he stood unsuccessfully at the general election. But he was re-elected to the Exclusion Parliaments for Newport, and again marked ‘worthy’ on Shaftesbury’s list. He was totally inactive, being absent from the division on the first exclusion bill. He took office as mayor of Tintagel in time to conduct the autumn election at Bossiney. By this time he had probably gone over to the Court, and he may have been responsible for the defeat of Sir Peter Colleton. He was not returned to James II’s Parliament; but in April 1688 the Earl of Bath recommended him as court candidate for Camelford, and suggested that he should be ‘treated with’ for his interest. Though he was removed from the corporation in June he was returned to the Convention for this constituency, together with his brother Henry. An inactive Member, he did not vote to agree with the Lords that the throne was not vacant. He may have been among those ordered to investigate a complaint about the serjeant’s fees on 29 June 1689, but in the following month he followed his brother into the country on five weeks’ leave. He may have been added on 24 Jan. 1690 to the inquiry into the imprisonment of three informers, but this is his only other possible committee. He signed the Association in 1696, but died on 6 June and was buried at Tavistock, leaving to his widow a jointure of £300 p.a.3

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: Gillian Hampson

Notes

• 1. Vivian, Vis. Cornw. 305-6; C10/495/215; Soc. of Genealogists, Lezant par. reg.; Paroch. Hist. Cornw. iii. 124; iv. 63; W. U. S. Glanville-Richards, Recs. of Glanville, 1467-7; Eg. 2764, f. 27.
• 2. J. Maclean, Trigg Minor, iii. 210; PC2/72/694.
• 3. Paroch. Hist. Cornw. iv. 155; M. Coate, Cornw. in Gt. Civil War, 31; Keeler, Long Parl. 266-7; Cal. Comm. Comp. 1082-4; CJ, ix. 442; Trans. Devon Assoc. xliii. 372; Luttrell, iv. 69; PCC 36 Pyne.